How Ken Paxton MAGAfied Texas in his rise to the top

How Ken Paxton MAGAfied Texas in his rise to the top Tuesday’s Texas Senate GOP primary will test how far the scandal-ridden attorney general can go. Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the Texas Senate seat, responds to a question during a campaign stop, in Waco, Texas, on March 2, 2026. | Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo By Liz Crampton 03/03/2026 05:45 AM EST On Jan. 6, 2021, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared to a raucous crowd of President Donald Trump’s supporters, many of whom were moments away from storming the U.S. Capitol: “We will not quit fighting.” Five years later, Paxton’s fighting spirit has him poised to unseat a 24-year incumbent. It’s been a steady journey. As Texas’ top lawyer, Paxton became a hero of the far right by using rapid-fire lawsuits to spearhead their most important causes, from expanding religious influence in schools to attempting to overturn the results of the 2020 election. He presented himself as a foil to the Obama and Biden administrations, filing more than 100 lawsuits over issues like immigration and environmental regulations. And he continues to steer the power of his office toward investigating alleged election irregularities, particularly in Democratic-led cities like Houston. On Tuesday, the MAGA grassroots that fueled his rise will reach its apex of influence so far: Paxton is well-positioned to finish first against John Cornyn in the GOP primary for his Senate seat, despite being saddled with tons of political baggage and targeted by millions of dollars in attack ads. The bare-knuckle Senate primary is likely headed to a runoff, dragging out the party’s own angst over generational change. For the far-right in Texas, Paxton’s arc shows the ascendent strength of their movement, which has pushed Republican leaders toward adopting increasingly conservative positions. For Cornyn, it means the potential end of his long career in the Senate, and the near-extinction of establishment Republicans within the party. “Ken Paxton is...